EP2214272A1 - Procédé de fabrication de dispositif à semi-conducteur, dispositif à semi-conducteur, appareil de communication, et laser semi-conducteur - Google Patents

Procédé de fabrication de dispositif à semi-conducteur, dispositif à semi-conducteur, appareil de communication, et laser semi-conducteur Download PDF

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Publication number
EP2214272A1
EP2214272A1 EP08852875A EP08852875A EP2214272A1 EP 2214272 A1 EP2214272 A1 EP 2214272A1 EP 08852875 A EP08852875 A EP 08852875A EP 08852875 A EP08852875 A EP 08852875A EP 2214272 A1 EP2214272 A1 EP 2214272A1
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Prior art keywords
semiconductor
layer
semiconductor device
manufacturing
semiconductor layer
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EP08852875A
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German (de)
English (en)
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EP2214272B1 (fr
EP2214272A4 (fr
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Hidehiro Taniguchi
Takeshi Namegaya
Etsuji Katayama
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Furukawa Electric Co Ltd
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Furukawa Electric Co Ltd
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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01S—DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL
    • H01S5/00—Semiconductor lasers
    • H01S5/10—Construction or shape of the optical resonator, e.g. extended or external cavity, coupled cavities, bent-guide, varying width, thickness or composition of the active region
    • H01S5/16—Window-type lasers, i.e. with a region of non-absorbing material between the active region and the reflecting surface
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01S—DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL
    • H01S5/00—Semiconductor lasers
    • H01S5/02—Structural details or components not essential to laser action
    • H01S5/028—Coatings ; Treatment of the laser facets, e.g. etching, passivation layers or reflecting layers
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02041—Cleaning
    • H01L21/02057—Cleaning during device manufacture
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01S—DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL
    • H01S5/00—Semiconductor lasers
    • H01S5/02—Structural details or components not essential to laser action
    • H01S5/028—Coatings ; Treatment of the laser facets, e.g. etching, passivation layers or reflecting layers
    • H01S5/0282—Passivation layers or treatments
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01S—DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL
    • H01S5/00—Semiconductor lasers
    • H01S5/20—Structure or shape of the semiconductor body to guide the optical wave ; Confining structures perpendicular to the optical axis, e.g. index or gain guiding, stripe geometry, broad area lasers, gain tailoring, transverse or lateral reflectors, special cladding structures, MQW barrier reflection layers
    • H01S5/2054—Methods of obtaining the confinement
    • H01S5/2059—Methods of obtaining the confinement by means of particular conductivity zones, e.g. obtained by particle bombardment or diffusion
    • H01S5/2068—Methods of obtaining the confinement by means of particular conductivity zones, e.g. obtained by particle bombardment or diffusion obtained by radiation treatment or annealing

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device, a semiconductor device, a communication apparatus, and a semiconductor laser. More particularly, the invention relates to a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device that includes a semiconductor laminated structure in its structure, a semiconductor device, a communication apparatus, and a semiconductor laser.
  • Semiconductor optical devices include optical devices that perform electricity-light conversion/light-electricity conversion, such as light emitting devices and light receiving devices, and optical devices that transmit optical signals, such as optical waveguides, optical switches, isolators, and photonic crystals.
  • the light emitting devices such as semiconductor lasers and light-emitting diodes, of the optical devices that perform the electricity-light conversion/light-electricity conversion, each include a semiconductor laminated structure constituted of a plurality of semiconductor layers including an active layer of a semiconductor hetero structure or a quantum well structure. These light emitting devices utilize the action of radiation recombination in the semiconductor laminated structure to perform the electricity-light conversion.
  • the light receiving devices each similarly include a semiconductor laminated structure constituted of a plurality of semiconductor layers.
  • the light receiving devices each utilize the action of light absorption in a certain semiconductor layer in the semiconductor laminated structure to perform the light-electricity conversion.
  • the optical devices that perform the transmission of the optical signals each include, depending on their types, a semiconductor laminated structure constituted of a plurality of semiconductor layers having predetermined refractive indices (or a plurality of semiconductor layers that include a semiconductor layer having a variable refractive index by an electrooptic effect).
  • the optical devices that perform the transmission of the optical signals each perform desired optical-signal transmission utilizing a difference between refractive indices of the plurality of semiconductor layers.
  • the optical devices described above are mainly constituted of the semiconductor laminated structures, their manufacturing methods sometimes include a process for changing a physical property of a predetermined semiconductor layer in the semiconductor laminated structure.
  • the optical device is a semiconductor laser
  • a window region may be formed on an emission facet for getting laser light generated by resonating light generated by radiation recombination to the outside.
  • the emission facet of the semiconductor laser may be degraded by high-density light absorption, and this may cause catastrophic optical damage (COD). Therefore, in the semiconductor laser formed with the window region, absorption of emitted light at the position of the emission facet is reduced by increasing the bandgap of the semiconductor of the semiconductor laminated structure at that position.
  • a dielectric film having an effect of promoting diffusion of Ga of a semiconductor laminated structure corresponding to the window region is formed on laminated layers of the semiconductor laminated structure, as described in Patent Document 1.
  • the semiconductor laminated structure is then heat-treated, thereby disordering a predetermined semiconductor layer in the semiconductor laminated structure corresponding to the window region, and changing a physical property value of the semiconductor layer. That is, a process of increasing a bandgap is performed.
  • This method is called an impurity free vacancy disordering (IFVD) method.
  • Patent Document 1 Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H7-122816
  • the IFVD method to which the present invention is directed, requires a heat treatment at a temperature higher than a temperature generally used in heat treatments, to disorder a window region and achieve a bandgap of a desirable magnitude.
  • the present invention has been achieved in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a treatment method, a semiconductor device, a communication apparatus, and a semiconductor laser, which are capable of sufficiently demonstrating effects of a dielectric film even after performing a process including a heat treatment, in a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device having a step of performing the heat treatment after forming the dielectric film on a surface of a semiconductor layer.
  • a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device includes in its structure a semiconductor layer and a dielectric layer deposited on the semiconductor layer and is characterized in that the method includes the steps of: semiconductor layer forming of forming the semiconductor layer; surface treating of performing a surface treatment for removing a residual carbon compound, on a surface of the semiconductor layer formed in the semiconductor layer forming; dielectric-film forming of forming a dielectric film under a depositing condition corresponding to a surface state after the surface treatment, on at least a part of the surface of the semiconductor layer on which the surface treatment has been performed in the surface treating; and heat treating of changing a crystalline state of at least a partial region of the semiconductor layer by performing a heat treatment on the semiconductor layer on which the dielectric film has been formed in the dielectric-film forming.
  • a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device according to the present invention is characterized in that in the above invention, the semiconductor device is an optical device.
  • a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device according to the present invention is characterized in that in the above invention, the semiconductor device is a semiconductor laser.
  • a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device according to the present invention is characterized in that in the above invention, the semiconductor layer is a semiconductor laminated structure formed of a plurality of types of semiconductor layers.
  • a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device according to the present invention is characterized in that in the above invention, the semiconductor laminated structure includes a compound semiconductor layer.
  • a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device according to the present invention is characterized in that in the above invention, the at least a partial region is a window region of the semiconductor laser.
  • a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device is characterized in that in the above invention, a temperature of the heat treatment in the heat treating is equal to or higher than a temperature at which a crystalline state of at least a partial region in at least one layer of the semiconductor laminated structure becomes a state of including a mixed crystal.
  • a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device according to the present invention is characterized in that in the above invention, the surface treatment in the surface treating is performed by using a sulfuric-acid containing mixture.
  • a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device according to the present invention is characterized in that in the above invention, the compound semiconductor layer is a GaAs semiconductor layer, and a contact angle between the surface and water is equal to or less than 60 degrees due to the surface treating.
  • a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device according to the present invention is characterized in that in the above invention, in the dielectric-film forming, the dielectric film is deposited under a depositing condition at which its refractive index corresponds to the surface state.
  • a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device according to the present invention is characterized in that in the above invention, the dielectric film is SiN and the refractive index is equal to or less than 2.1.
  • a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device according to the present invention is characterized in that in the above invention, a temperature of the heat treatment in the heat treating is equal to or higher than 800°C.
  • a semiconductor device according to the present invention is characterized in that it is manufactured by the manufacturing method of a semiconductor device according to any one of the above inventions.
  • a communication apparatus is characterized in that the apparatus uses the semiconductor device according to the above invention.
  • a semiconductor laser according to the present invention is characterized in that it is of a semiconductor laser structure having a GaAs compound semiconductor manufactured by an IFVD method in its active layer, wherein an increase in a bandgap of a window region of the active layer is equal to or greater than 70 meV.
  • a semiconductor laser according to the present invention is characterized in that it is of a semiconductor laser structure having a GaAs compound semiconductor manufactured by an IFVD method in its active layer, wherein a difference ⁇ Eg between bandgaps of a window region and a non-window region in the active layer is equal to or greater than 50 meV.
  • the manufacturing method of a semiconductor device according to the present invention demonstrates prominent effects of being able to perform a process including a heat treatment appropriately and effects of a dielectric film used not being degraded.
  • FIG. 1(a) depicts a cross section of a semiconductor laminated structure 1 for constituting an optical device not illustrated and manufactured by the manufacturing method of an optical device according to the embodiment of the present invention.
  • the semiconductor laminated structure 1 is constituted of a plurality of semiconductor layers 2-1 and 2-2 to 2-n.
  • Semiconductor materials of the plurality (n layers) of semiconductor layers 2-1 and 2-2 to 2-n are of a plurality of types.
  • the manufacturing method of an optical device includes a step of performing a heat treatment on the semiconductor laminated structure 1, and uses a thermal action of the heat treatment, as will be explained below. Therefore, since the semiconductor materials of the semiconductor layers 2-1, and 2-2 to 2-n are of the plurality of types as stated above, each of the semiconductor layers 2-1 and 2-2 to 2-n receives a different thermal action, thereby practically achieving effects of the heat treatment.
  • the semiconductor materials are not particularly limited, a compound semiconductor constituted of a plurality of constituent atoms is preferable. This is because when the semiconductor layers 2-1 and 2-2 to 2-n are formed of compound semiconductors each constituted of a plurality of constituent atoms, bond energies of the constituent atoms of the compound semiconductors differ depending on kinds of the constituent atoms, and thus they are easily affected by the thermal actions in the heat treatment. In other words, because the bond energies of the constituent atoms of a semiconductor that constitutes a semiconductor layer are different depending on the kinds of the constituent atoms, a part of the constituent atoms moves due to the thermal action in the heat treatment, and a crystalline state of the semiconductor at that position becomes easy to change.
  • the constituent atoms are atoms for constituting the semiconductor material itself.
  • a semiconductor material made of a single element may be used as the semiconductor layers 2-1 and 2-2 to 2-n of the semiconductor laminated structure 1, as long as crystalline states of the semiconductor materials change by movement of constituent atoms due to the thermal actions in the heat treatment.
  • the optical device may be any optical device as long as it has the semiconductor laminated structure 1 described above in its stricture.
  • the optical device may be an optical device that performs electricity-light conversion/light-electricity conversion such as a light emitting device or a light receiving device, or an optical device that transmits optical signals such as an optical waveguide, an optical switch, an isolator, or a photonic crystal.
  • the present invention is not limited to optical devices, and may be widely applied to semiconductor devices such as a MOS diode and a MOS transistor that are semiconductor devices each having a dielectric layer formed on a semiconductor layer and that require improvement in adhesiveness thereof.
  • FIGS. 1(a) to 1(c) A process of manufacturing an optical device that includes the semiconductor laminated structure 1 described above in its structure is explained with reference to cross-sectional views for explaining some of the manufacturing process of the optical device, which are depicted in FIGS. 1(a) to 1(c) , a flowchart depicted in FIG. 2 , and a schematic diagram depicted in FIG. 3 .
  • the semiconductor laminated structure 1 depicted in FIG. 1(a) is prepared (ST1 in FIG. 2 ).
  • a surface treatment is performed on a laminated layer surface 3 of the semiconductor laminated structure 1 depicted in FIG. 1(a) (ST2 in FIG. 2 ).
  • a state after performing the surface treatment on the laminated layer surface 3 of the semiconductor laminated structure 1 is such that the laminated layer surface 3 demonstrates a hydrophilic property if it is assumed that water 6 is present on the laminated layer surface 3 of the semiconductor laminated structure 1 on which the surface treatment has been performed, as depicted in FIG. 3 .
  • the laminated layer surface 3 demonstrates that property after the surface treatment according to the present invention indicates that the laminated layer surface 3 has been cleaned and thus carbon compounds and oxides have been removed, and that if a dielectric film is formed on the laminated layer surface 3 of the semiconductor laminated structure 1 in the subsequent steps, the quality of the dielectric film can be improved and the adhesiveness of the dielectric film to the laminated layer surface 3 can be improved. Effects of the dielectric film formed can thus be sufficiently demonstrated.
  • the laminated layer surface 3 demonstrating the hydrophilic property specifically means that a contact angle ⁇ of the water 6 on the laminated layer surface 3 with respect to the laminated layer surface 3 is equal to or smaller than 60 degrees.
  • the contact angle ⁇ becomes equal to or larger than 90 degrees ( ⁇ becomes 60 to 90 degrees if it has an intermediate property between a hydrophilic property and a hydrophobic property).
  • the contact angle ⁇ may be measured by using a goniometer contact-angle measuring apparatus or the like.
  • the surface treatment is performed using an acidic liquid. This is because if the laminated layer surface 3 of the semiconductor laminated structure 1 comes in contact with the atmosphere and is oxidized after the semiconductor laminated structure 1 is formed as depicted in FIG. 1(a) , by performing the surface treatment on the laminated layer surface 3 using the acidic liquid, contamination such as a residue of an oxide formed on the surface or a carbon compound adhered to the surface due to a surface processing can be effectively removed to clean the laminated layer surface 3.
  • a dielectric film 4 is formed at a predetermined position of at least a part of the laminated layer surface 3 of the semiconductor laminated structure 1 (ST3 in FIG. 2 ).
  • the dielectric film 4 is formed on the laminated layer surface 3 of the semiconductor laminated structure 1 to make the dielectric film 4 to have an effect of promoting a change in a crystalline state in at least a partial region in at least one layer of the semiconductor layers 2-1 and 2-2 to 2-n that constitute the semiconductor laminated structure 1 corresponding to a region of the laminated layer surface 3 on which the dielectric film 4 has been formed by the heat treatment described below.
  • Promoting the effect of changing the crystalline state of the semiconductor layer means to promote movement of constituent atoms of the semiconductor layers 2-1 and 2-2 to 2-n that constitute the semiconductor laminated structure 1 due to the thermal actions by the heat treatment or movement of holes corresponding to the moved atoms, for example. More specifically, if the dielectric film 4 has the effect of absorbing the moving constituent atoms of the semiconductor layers 2-1 and 2-2 to 2-n or the moving holes, the effect of changing the crystalline state of the semiconductor layer is promoted.
  • another dielectric film 4' different from the dielectric film 4 may be formed on the laminated layer surface 3 in a region other than the region where the dielectric film 4 has been formed.
  • the dielectric film 4' is formed on the laminated layer surface 3 of the semiconductor laminated structure 1 to protect the laminated layer surface 3 during the heat treatment explained below and let the dielectric film 4' have an effect of reducing the change in the crystalline state of the semiconductor laminated structure 1 in a region 5b in FIG. 1(c) .
  • the heat treatment is performed on the semiconductor laminated structure 1 having the dielectric film 4 formed at the predetermined position on the laminated layer surface 3 (ST4 in FIG. 2 ).
  • the heat treatment is performed to change the crystalline state of the at least the partial region in the at least one layer of the semiconductor laminated structure 1 in a region (a region 5a in FIG. 1(c) ) on which the dielectric film 4 has been formed at the predetermined position on the laminated layer surface 3, as explained in the next paragraph.
  • the crystalline state changes in the at least the partial region in the at least one layer of the semiconductor laminated structure 1 in the region (the region 5a in FIG. 1(c) ) where the dielectric film 4 has been formed, as depicted in FIG. 1(c) .
  • change in the crystalline state is small in the region (the region 5b in FIG. 1(c) ) where the dielectric film 4' has been formed.
  • FIG. 1(c) is an example of a case in which the crystalline states changed in all of the semiconductor layers 2-1 and 2-2 to 2-n of the semiconductor laminated structure 1 in the region (the region 5a in FIG. 1(c) ) on which the dielectric film 4 has been formed.
  • the crystalline state/states of which one/ones of the semiconductor layers 2-1 and 2-2 to 2-n of the semiconductor laminated structure 1 in the region on which the dielectric film 4 has been formed changes/change greatly depends/depend on semiconductor materials that constitute the semiconductor layers 2-1 and 2-2 to 2-n. For example, if a difference between bond energies of the constituent atoms of the semiconductor materials of mutually adjacent semiconductor layers 2-1 and 2-2 to 2-n is large, the crystalline states of the semiconductor layers easily change.
  • the other necessary treatments include adding a structure other than the semiconductor laminated structure 1 that constitutes the optical device and/or performing a treatment different from the surface treatment or heat treatment performed on the semiconductor laminated structure 1, to manufacture a completed body of the optical device.
  • these treatments include etching of physically processing the semiconductor laminated structure 1, forming a passivation film, forming an electrode, and forming a reflection film, to complete the light emitting device or the light receiving device.
  • the optical device is an optical waveguide, an optical switch, an isolator, or a photonic crystal
  • these treatments include etching of physically processing the semiconductor laminated structure 1, forming a passivation film, and forming a necessary electrode, to complete the optical waveguide, the optical switch, the isolator, or the photonic crystal.
  • FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a semiconductor laser element as a specific example of an optical device manufactured by the manufacturing method of an optical device according to the embodiment of the present invention.
  • a semiconductor laser element 10 depicted in FIG. 4 is subjected to a predetermined physical processing to form a shape of a ridge 17, and has a basic structure having a semiconductor laminated structure 11 formed on a GaAs semiconductor substrate 14, laminated with a plurality of GaAs semiconductor layers, and including an active layer.
  • the semiconductor laser element 10 further includes two cleavage surfaces at both ends in a longitudinal direction of the ridge 17, by the semiconductor substrate 14 integrated with the semiconductor laminated structure 11 being cleaved.
  • a low reflection film 19 is formed to output laser light 18, generated by resonating light generated within the active layer in the semiconductor laminated structure 1 by using the two cleavage surfaces as reflection mirrors, from an emission region 15 of the semiconductor laser element 10 to the outside.
  • a high reflection film 20 is formed to efficiently output the generated laser light 18 to the outside of the semiconductor laser element 10 from only a low-reflection film 19 end.
  • FIG. 5(a) is a cross-sectional view of a plane perpendicular to a z-axis (a light emission direction) in FIG. 4 for specifically explaining a structure of the semiconductor laser element 10 depicted in FIG. 4 .
  • FIG. 5(b) is a cross-sectional view of a surface (a surface including a resonator of the semiconductor laser element) that passes a ridge 17 portion and that is a plane perpendicular to an x-axis in FIG. 4 .
  • the semiconductor laser element 10 includes in its structure the semiconductor laminated structure 11 formed on the GaAs semiconductor substrate 14 having a thickness of about 100 micrometers.
  • the semiconductor laminated structure 11 is constituted of a plurality of kinds of semiconductor layers that include, in the order from a lower layer, an n-buffer layer 12-1 made of GaAs and having a thickness of about 100 nanometers, an n-cladding layer 12-2 made of AlGaAs (with an Al composition of 40%) and having a thickness of about 2 micrometers, an n-guide layer 12-3 made of AlGaAs (with an Al composition of 30%) and having a thickness of about 400 nanometers, an active layer 12-4, a p-guide layer 12-5 made of AlGaAs (with an Al composition of 30%) and having a thickness of about 400 nanometers, a p-cladding layer 12-6 made of AlGaAs (with an Al composition of 50%) and having a thickness of about 1 micrometer, and a p-contact layer 12-7 made of GaAs, having a thickness of about 500 nanometers, and doped with a high concentration to make contact with an electrode.
  • the active layer 12-4 forms a quantum well structure constituted of a lower barrier layer 12-4a made of AlGaAs (with an Al composition of 30%), a quantum well layer 12-4b made of InGaAs, and an upper barrier layer 12-4c made of AlGaAs (with an Al composition of 30%), in the order from the lower layer.
  • the quantum well structure may not only be a single-quantum well structure, but instead may be a multi-quantum well structure.
  • the ridge 17 is formed by physically processing a part of an upper part of the semiconductor laminated structure 11 to limit a region through which a current is flown into the active layer 12-4. That is, a part of the p-cladding layer 12-6 at an upper side of the semiconductor laminated structure 11 and the p-contact layer 12-7 are physically processed to form the processed portion in a shape of the ridge 17.
  • the semiconductor laser element 10 to flow the current from the outside into the active layer 12-4, an upper electrode 22 is formed at a p-contact layer 12-7 surface side and a lower electrode 23 is formed on a back surface of the GaAs semiconductor substrate 14.
  • the upper electrode 22 is formed via an insulation layer 21, on a surface of the semiconductor laminated structure 11 other than the top of the ridge 17, to be able to flow the current from only the top of the ridge 17 in flowing the current from the outside.
  • the current flown from the upper electrode 22 and the lower electrode 23 is concentrated at a part of the active layer 12-4, due to the ridge 17 formed by having a part of the semiconductor laminated structure 11 processed, and the laser light 18 is output to the outside of the semiconductor laser element 10.
  • the laser light 18 emitted from the emission region 15 has a high optical density
  • a window region 15a made of a semiconductor material absorbing little laser light is provided in a predetermined region including a light-emission facet, and a region other than that is provided as a non-window region 15b, from a viewpoint of preventing the occurrence of COD (see FIG. 5(b) ).
  • a group-III atom in the GaAs compound semiconductor layer described above that constitutes the semiconductor laminated structure 11 is diffused, and a state of including a mixed crystal occurs. Consequently, a crystalline state of the semiconductor layer that constitutes the semiconductor laminated structure 11 in the region 15a is changed.
  • the semiconductor laminated structure 11 made of the n-buffer layer 12-1, the n-cladding layer 12-2, the n-guide layer 12-3, the active layer 12-4, the p-guide layer 12-5, the p-cladding layer 12-6, and the p-contact layer 12-7 is epitaxially grown on the GaAs semiconductor substrate 14, by using a metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) device employing a usually-used MOCVD method.
  • MOCVD metal organic chemical vapor deposition
  • doping of Si is performed during the epitaxial growth of the n-buffer layer 12-1 and the n-cladding layer 12-2 and doping of C is performed during the epitaxial growth of the p-cladding layer 12-6 and the p-contact layer 12-7.
  • the semiconductor substrate 14 is taken out from the MOCVD device, and a surface treatment is performed on a laminated layer surface 30 of the semiconductor laminated structure 11.
  • a surface cleaning process was performed for 90 seconds on the laminated layer surface 30 of the semiconductor laminated structure 11 by using an undiluted solution of concentrated sulfuric acid (equal to or greater than 95%) manufactured by Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd. Thereafter, cleaning by deionized water was performed for five minutes.
  • a test of dropping water on the laminated layer surface 30 was performed to check a surface state of the laminated layer surface 30 after the surface treatment.
  • the contact angle ⁇ of the water 16 was about 60 degrees indicating hydrophilicity, as depicted in FIG. 7 .
  • any method that allows reduction of a residual component of a surface carbon compound to a substantially negligible amount may be used as the surface cleaning treatment according to the present invention.
  • a dielectric film 40 and a dielectric film 40' which were made of SiN and had refractive indices of 1.9 and 2.1 respectively were formed by using a CVD device on the laminated layer surface 30 corresponding to the regions 15a and the region 15b of the semiconductor laminated structure 11 as depicted in FIG. 6(b) .
  • samples formed with the dielectric films 40' made of SiN with their refractive indices varied from 2 to 2.2 were also manufactured.
  • a heat treatment is performed on the semiconductor laminated structure 11.
  • a device to perform the heat treatment is a rapid thermal annealing (RTA) device.
  • the heat treatment is performed under conditions of the temperature being 900°C and the treatment time period being 30 seconds.
  • the crystalline state of at least a partial region in at least one layer of the semiconductor laminated structure 11 in the region 15a in which the dielectric film 40 has been formed changes as depicted in FIG. 6(c) .
  • Ga atoms that constitute the semiconductor layers 12-1 and 12-2 to 12-7 constituting the semiconductor laminated structure 11 by the heat treatment move towards the dielectric film 40, and are absorbed by the dielectric film 40.
  • FIG. 8(a) results of an Auger analysis of a sample having a dielectric layer deposited on a semiconductor surface cleaned by a cleaning method according to the present invention are depicted in FIG. 8(a)
  • FIG. 8(b) results of an Auger analysis of a sample having a dielectric layer deposited on a semiconductor surface cleaned by a conventional cleaning method using conventional acetone or hydrochloric acid is depicted in FIG. 8(b) .
  • FIG. 9(a) depicts a surface state of the laminated layer surface 30 after depositing a dielectric film after the surface treatment according to the present invention and performing the heat treatment, and no particular cracks are generated in the dielectric film, the surface state of the laminated layer surface 30 is satisfactory, and the effect of the dielectric film is not reduced.
  • FIG. 9(b) depicts a surface state of the laminated layer surface 30 after depositing a dielectric film after the surface treatment according to the conventional cleaning method and performing the heat treatment, and cracks are generated in the dielectric film, the dielectric film is peeled off from the laminated layer surface 30, and thus the effect of the dielectric film is reduced.
  • FIG. 9(a) and FIG. 9(b) correspond to FIG. 8(a) and FIG. 8(b) , respectively, and it can be understood that the presence of residual carbon compounds after the surface cleaning influences greatly a subsequent state of the dielectric layer.
  • FIG. 10 depicts results of the test.
  • FIG. 10 depicts a relationship of the presence of surface roughening of the laminated layer surfaces 30 after the heat treatments (peeling off of the dielectric film depicted in FIG. 9 ) with respect to refractive indices of the dielectric films 40' formed on the laminated layer surfaces 30 and affinities of the semiconductor laminated structures 1 to water on the laminated layer surfaces 30.
  • the laminated layer surface 30 after the surface treatment demonstrates hydrophilicity and a refractive index of SiN that constitutes the dielectric film formed on the laminated layer surface 30 is equal to or smaller than 2.1, surface roughening does not occur. That is, when these conditions are satisfied, the effect of the dielectric film is not reduced in the heat treatment, and it is possible to perform the heat treatment appropriately.
  • FIG. 10 depicts a relationship when the semiconductor layer 12 that constitutes the semiconductor laminated structure 11 is of a GaAs type and the dielectric film formed on the laminated layer surface 30 of the semiconductor laminated structure 11 is SiN.
  • the semiconductor layer 12 is not of the GaAs type and the dielectric film is not SiN, if the refractive index of the dielectric film is equal to or less than a predetermined value, surface roughening does not occur on the laminated layer surface 30 as long as the laminated layer surface 30 after the surface treatment demonstrates hydrophilicity, and it may be considered that the heat treatment is performed appropriately.
  • a surface state after the surface treatment relates to adhesiveness between the laminated layer surface 30 of the semiconductor laminated structure 11 and the dielectric film
  • a refractive index of the dielectric film relates to a density of a dielectric substance that constitutes the dielectric film.
  • the density of the dielectric substance relates to a stress given to the laminated layer surface 30 on which the dielectric film is formed. Therefore, if the refractive index of the dielectric film is equal to or less than a predetermined value corresponding to a surface state of the laminated layer surface 30, upon formation of the dielectric film on the laminated layer surface 30 of the semiconductor laminated structure 11, a stress working between the dielectric film and the semiconductor layer in the laminated layer surface 30 becomes optimum.
  • the heat treatment temperature was 900°C. Samples subjected to heat treatments at different temperatures were also manufactured, and increases in bandgaps of semiconductor layers corresponding to window regions were measured.
  • FIG. 11 is a graph representing a relationship between a heat treatment temperature and an increase in a bandgap of a semiconductor layer corresponding to a window region. As can be understood from FIG. 11 , when the heat treatment temperature is equal to or higher than 800°C, the crystalline states of the semiconductor layers 12-1 and 12-2 to 12-7 are in a state of including a mixed crystal (a bandgap of the semiconductor layer corresponding to the window region increases).
  • a position corresponding to the top of the ridge 17 on the laminated layer surface 30 of the semiconductor laminated structure 11 is masked by performing lithography. After the masking, as depicted in FIG. 12(a) , the p-contact layer 12-7 other than the masked portion and an upper part of the p-cladding layer 12-6 are removed by etching, thereby forming the ridge 17.
  • the insulation layer 21 made of SiN is formed by using a CVD device on an exposed surface of the semiconductor laminated structure 11. As depicted in FIG. 12(b) , the insulation layer 21 at a position where the upper electrode 22 (see FIG. 5(a) ) is to contact is removed. After the upper electrode 22 is formed, a back surface of the semiconductor substrate 14 is polished until its thickness becomes about 100 micrometers, and the lower electrode 23 is formed on the polished surface. The semiconductor substrate 14 is taken into an annealing device, and the formed electrode is sintered.
  • the semiconductor substrate 14 is cleaved bar-shaped, and the low reflection film 19 made of a dielectric multilayer film is formed on one of the cleavage surfaces, and the high reflection film 20 made of a dielectric multilayer film is formed on the other cleavage surface. Finally, the bar-shaped semiconductor substrate 14 is cut into each semiconductor laser element 10, thereby completing the semiconductor laser element 10.
  • the semiconductor laser element according to the present invention is applicable to a communication apparatus using a currently-popularized semiconductor laser.
  • FIG. 13 depicts a relationship between a bandgap difference ( ⁇ Eg, a difference between bandgaps of a window region and a non-window region of an active layer) due to disordering of a semiconductor laminated structure having a GaAs active layer according to the present invention and a heat treatment temperature.
  • ⁇ Eg a difference between bandgaps of a window region and a non-window region of an active layer
  • ⁇ Eg higher than that of a conventional technique can be achieved at the same temperature. Because a temperature at a boundary where occurrence of surface roughening is revealed is higher than that of the conventional technique, a heat treatment can be performed at a temperature higher than that of the conventional technique. As a result, a window region having a large bandgap can be manufactured.
  • an increase in a bandgap of the window region becomes equal to or larger than 70 meV
  • an increase in a bandgap of the non-window region becomes equal to or smaller than 10 meV
  • a window having ⁇ Eg > 50 meV which has been conventionally difficult to manufacture without surface roughening, can be manufactured.
  • the present invention is suitably utilized in various semiconductor devices used in a field of optical communications, for example.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Condensed Matter Physics & Semiconductors (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • Semiconductor Lasers (AREA)
  • Insulated Gate Type Field-Effect Transistor (AREA)
  • Formation Of Insulating Films (AREA)
EP08852875.7A 2007-11-21 2008-11-20 Procédé de fabrication de dispositif à semi-conducteur, dispositif à semi-conducteur, appareil de communication, et laser semi-conducteur Active EP2214272B1 (fr)

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JP2007301591 2007-11-21
PCT/JP2008/071151 WO2009066739A1 (fr) 2007-11-21 2008-11-20 Procédé de fabrication de dispositif à semi-conducteur, dispositif à semi-conducteur, appareil de communication, et laser semi-conducteur

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US10033154B2 (en) 2010-03-03 2018-07-24 Furukawa Electronic Co., Ltd. Semiconductor optical element, semiconductor laser element, and method for manufacturing semiconductor optical element and semiconductor laser element, and method for manufacturing semiconductor laser module and semiconductor element

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US8030224B2 (en) 2011-10-04
US20100232464A1 (en) 2010-09-16
EP2214272B1 (fr) 2021-06-02
CN101868888B (zh) 2016-04-13
JPWO2009066739A1 (ja) 2011-04-07
WO2009066739A1 (fr) 2009-05-28
JP5391078B2 (ja) 2014-01-15
EP2214272A4 (fr) 2017-06-28

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